Catch Me Duo
by Jacadiee
Summary: Heero has left and Relena turns to her closest friend. But when she begins to fall for the braided American, how will things turn out in the gang? NOT a RelenaXDuo fic!
1. Your Wife!

A/N: The most important note to go with this fic is quite simply this: This is NOT a Relena Duo fic. The pairings are as such: Relena Duo a hint at TrowaXQuatre. Thank you! .

"Thanks Duo," Relena Peacecraft sighed, "I'm sorry to be such a trouble."

"Nah, it's nice to have dinner with you once in a while, Princess," the braided gundam pilot grinned. He didn't lie; he did enjoy spending time with one of his closest friends, though it pained to see her as she now was. Sad, dejected, and still trying to hide the pain behind her diplomatic smile, her pacifist features.

"I'm glad, but- but I think I'm going to spend more nights in if that's alright." Relena looked away from Duo as the waiter brought the check. She took the check directly from the man before he could set it on the table.

"Princess-" Duo started, desperately wanting to be able to talk to his friend, at least long enough to make her smile or laugh.

"Duo," Relena surged to her feet check in hand, her face and voice were almost angry, "go back to your wife Duo! Go back to Hilde, I'm sure she misses you." Leaving Duo gaping at her Relena walked quickly to the counter to pay the bill and then out the door to climb into her limo, two security men following her as she went. The sight of the two new security guards made Duo inwardly curse; he knew whose fault it was that Relena was now so low, her spirits crushed and her smiles false masks.

"Yuy," he growled aloud before standing. Grabbing his Preventers jacket from the back of the chair as he pushed it back under the table. Swing the jacket around his shoulders he moved briskly through the restaurant to the front door. By the time he was out of the door Relena's limo had pulled away. She was gone, gone to cry alone Duo was sure. He made his way to the curb where he had left his bike.

He stared at the bike momentarily, at Relena's insistence, he always drove to the restaurant on his bike, and she always in her limo. They met at the table; she called it security, he called it cowering. But he couldn't blame her, and he sighed as his mind mulled over that thought and he climbed onto his bike.

He turned the key in the ignition and grasped the clutch, revving the bike. The sound of rubber on asphalt screeched on the street as Duo drove away from his rendezvous with the President. He hurried home to Hilde, the love of his life. Now that he no longer had his full attention on making Relena happy for the night, her comment about his wife worried him. Hilde swore she understood why Duo left so often, why he wasn't home to eat dinner with her anymore, why he sometimes didn't even come home after work, or left the scrap heap right after the day ended, not returning until late into the night. Hilde loved Relena too, Duo knew that, knew that she didn't want Relena to hurt like she did. But even as Hilde assured him that she was busy anyway, or that she wasn't in the mood for a big dinner, she had a look in her eyes that saddened Duo and cut him to the quick.

As the headlight illuminated the street that led to the junkyard, Duo changed gears in an attempt to quiet his bike. He turned from the main street to the small road that branched off in front of his and Hilde's livelihood and led to the right a short ways where a small three-bedroom house waited. The house was a simple, homely affair with a shingled roof, small square windows, and gardens, topped all off with a picket fence that matched tiny lace curtains in the kitchen windows. It was far from what Duo had ever imagined for himself, and just as far from the apartment the couple had shared for quite sometime. Until about a month ago, Hilde would ride with Duo on his motorcycle the fifteen-minute commute out to the scrap heap.

_Quatre had discovered that they were slowly saving money to have a house built closer to their job; the rich Arabic prince had bought them the house. Less than a week later, the Shinagami and his girlfriend had packed their entire apartment, moved everything to the new house, and unpacked everything. On their first night into the house, Duo had proposed to Hilde, bent on one knee he reached for her hand and placed a ring n her hand over their fast meal of pizza and soda. Hilde had cried, the money Duo had saved for the occasion could only buy a simple silver band with a small diamond, Duo had picked it for the color of the diamond, which matched Hilde's eyes. _

_Hilde had said yes through her tears, making Duo the happiest man on Earth, or any of the colonies. That night, whilst sharing their double bed that rested on the floor for lack of an as yet constructed frame, Hilde and Duo simply enjoyed each other's company. They were close, but no intimate, simply holding and being held. A month later they were happily wed. _

_Their blissful euphoria only lasted until they were forced to leave their home to work one day, a week after their simple honeymoon; while Duo worked hard amongst the heaps of scrap metal, Hilde worked with customers, when she looked up for the next customer she gasped at the sight of Relena standing there, with no sign of security and tears running down her face. _

"_Here, take a seat Lena," Hilde comforted. After pushing her distraught friend into a chair and offering her a mug filled with water, Hilde rushed to the door and flipped the sign there. "Closed" would ward away any customers while Hilde cared for Relena. She then turned from the door and raced back to Relena. Patting her on the shoulder in a comforting gesture, Hilde reached for the phone with her other hand. She called Duo's phone and hoped desperately that he still had it on him._

"_Yeah," Duo's cheery voice answered._

"_Duo!" Hilde blurted in her relief._

"_Hey babe," Duo smiled on his end of the line, pausing in his work and sliding down the large piece of sheet metal he had been standing on. "Did you need something?" _

"_Yes! Relena's here. Duo, she's- I don't know why she's like this! Just get down to the office please," Hilde hung up the phone to turn her full attention to her closest female friend. "Relena, Relena what's wrong?" Hilde asked anxiously._

_Out in the junkyard Duo quickly pocketed his phone and broke off at a run back to the office where his wife waited with his friend. He had no idea what was wrong with Relena, but the anxiety and worry in Hilde's voice had planted and equally anxious seed of worry in the young Americans stomach. _

_When Duo made it back to the office he found his wife cradling Relena. The beautiful pacifist's shoulders were violently shaking with the sobs that wracked her body and seemed torn from her heart. Duo walked the rest of the way into the office and went to the two women. Hilde stood and Duo took over her place of holding Relena._

"_What happened?" Duo asked, trying to soothe Relena, running his hand down her hair. "What happened Princess?" When Relena gave no sign that she had even heard Duos question he turned pained cobalt eyes to his wife. "_

"_Wha-" Duo started to ask to have his wife sadly cut him off with two words. Two words spoken so softly duo barely heard them._

"_He left," Hilde nearly whispered, feeling tears well up in her own eyes and choke her with sympathy for her friend._

_Duo nearly cursed and held Relena tighter. He and Hilde did all they could for her throughout the rest of the time she was there. She ended up taking a nap after her crying session in the office. By the time her nap was finished, Hilde had hardy soup made for her and Duo had called Trowa to escort her home. Relena was speaking at that point and thanked them for their hospitality before leaving silently with Trowa, rubbing tearstains from her face. _

_She later called Duo, a week after she last saw him, the day Heero had left. She demurely asked him to join her for dinner. Hilde had suggested Duo go alone, promising to wait up for him. The dinner had gone pleasantly enough, when Duo wasn't thinking of how much anguish Relena was hiding. When he returned home a sympathetic Hilde welcomed him ready to listen. After that night it had become more and more frequent of Relena to call. Hilde rarely went to dinner with the two of them and the few times she did, there was even more of an awkward air. _

As Duo's bike turned into the driveway leading to the garage, he cut the engine, coasting to a stop. He climbed off the bike and let himself into the house. The lights in the front were turned off and as he made his way through the living room and into the hall leading to the bedrooms, he noted that all those lights were off as well. Hilde had not waited up for him. Duo walked into the guest bathroom, not wishing to wake Hilde with the sound of running water in the bathroom that was joined to their room. He brushed his teeth, took down his hair and combed the long locks. Emotionally and physically tired, Duo did not bother with re-braiding his long brown hair and simply tied it back in a loose ponytail before turning off the light in the bathroom and heading for the bedroom he shared with Hilde.

Quietly opening and then closing the door behind him, Duo moved into the room. He walked quietly to Hilde's side of the bed and looked down on her, watching her breath. Her hair was growing out, it curled around her ears and landed just below her shoulders now; Duo smiled softly as the love of his life moved in her sleep mumbling something he couldn't make out. Slinking across the floor to his side of the bed, he sat down to take his shoes of and throw them carefully into the corner. He stood again and unbuttoned his shirt and slacks. Removing his clothing he slipped under the covers in his boxers and turned to his wife's sleeping form.

Duo reached out for her soft warmth and pulled her into his embrace. In her sleep she turned to him out of habit and snuggled up to him, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm draped over her waist. Duo fell asleep with a small smile on his face, the comfort of his wife's embrace chasing away his worries for Relena and his fear of his wife's pain.

Relena stared blankly into the mirror she sat before. She didn't see the way her hair fell long and forgotten own her back, she didn't see her shoulders, thinner than they used to be, to the point that the straps to the nightgown she now wore constantly slid unhealthily down. She did not see eyes red with too many tears, or cheeks pale with too many sleepless nights.

No, Relena Peacecraft saw in her face a traitor, in her lips, ragged from being torn at by anxious teeth, a slut. She despised herself and what she felt she had become. A parasite, feeding from others, leeching away their rightful chance at happiness to feed her own petty greed and hunger.

_He smiled so warmly at her, when his wife's name was not mentioned, she could almost pretend he held interest in her that stretched further than their friendship. The way he smiled, the way he talked, the way he hugged her each time they met, made he smile a little inside, made her feel wanted, made her feel loved, made her fell as though she had some worth._

_Their meal was finished; Duo was rising to pay the check, but stopped when he felt Relena's hand on his arm. He looked down to her to see her face turned down, her teeth chewing at her lower lip._

"_Princess?" he asked calmly, prompting her to look at him. She did, dropping her hand from his sleeve._

"_I'll pay for that Duo," she gestured to the check. Duo only shook his head and left to walk to the cash register. He left Relena behind him staring at the table. Though it pained him to do so, he walked out of the restaurant after paying for their meals. It was what she insisted on, and he would conform to her requests._

_At the table, all alone but for the empty cups and plates of food, eaten on Duos side, barely touched on hers, Relena wept. She had nearly asked him to stay with her. She was about to ask him to take her somewhere, so that she would not miss him, so that she could spend more time with him. Relena wept at the greed behind her actions. She kept him from his wife, her friend, too often as it was, to ask for more time, more time that he would give would have been horrible._

Relena stared at her reflection and her lip curled in hate at what she saw. Then her eyes filled with tears again and she stood up and turned away from her desk, flinging herself at the bed. She wept into her pillow, she cried out in self-loathing and asked forgiveness.

"God help me, I think I love Duo Maxwell."


	2. Another Day

A/N: Thanks a whole bunch for the review, I'm actually updating much sooner in hopes of receiving more. I think though that I might have to wait until I get more reviews before updating so soon. If I don't get more, I still update, just not in a day or two like this one was. This fic is rated M… we haven't quite gotten to that part yet, but this chapter begins to approach one of the reasons for the rating. Just a wee bit of citrus… my first ever so tell me how it is! .

When Duo woke up the next morning, it was to sun coming in through the windows and an empty place in bed beside him. He assumed Hilde was eating breakfast and quickly dressed before walking down the hall and into the open kitchen. Hilde was there, eating a bowl of cereal and reading a page in the newspaper. Duo paused in the doorway, as he often did and just watched his wife, watched her living a normal life, in a normal house. Strangely, she fit, the ex-soldier from Oz, _fit_ into the bright kitchen scene, sitting neatly at the small square table in the center of the white tile floors. The sun that filtered in through the lace curtains illuminated the light woods of the cabinets and cast shadows from the window panes onto the floral tablecloth, everything looked like the perfect, normal domestic home of a normal couple. He sighed contentedly and then walked the rest of the way into the kitchen; Hilde looked up at the sound of his footsteps and smiled a good morning.

As he passed her on his way to the fridge, Duo bent down to meet her upturned face, he planted a chaste kiss on her lips before moving on to the fridge. Duo opened the door and bent over to see clear into the back of the large fridge. He stood motionless for a moment as his eyes scanned the full fridge.

"Babe, there is _nothing _in this fridge. And I'm starving!" he complained loudly, looking over his shoulder to where his wife sat, grinning at him.

"I just went shopping yesterday, I know there's food in there," she laughed.

Duo gave her his best impression of a sad puppy and begged her sullenly, "Please make me some breakfast, baby. Please?" his look became sour as Hilde shook her head.

"Aw, come on, I'm a growing boy, I need my nutrients!" Duo bemoaned, "Now do the womanly wife thing and cook for your husband!"

Hilde arched one brow incredulously, "You're twenty-two years old, Mr. Maxwell," she drawled. "And the "womanly" thing," she nodded her head sarcastically, "I'm quite sure that would only work if you were Wufei and I were Sally." Duo scoffed, turning from the fridge and walking to the counter to pull down a bowl.

"And _that_ may not even make it work," Hilde continued dryly, thinking of the strong-willed doctor. Hilde stood, gathering her bowl and walking over towards Duo where he stood at the counter surrounding the stove and sink. She placed her bowl in the sink and then turned back to the fridge.

"However, I am not above helping you make your breakfast," she smiled as she opened the fridge and pulled out a couple bags of assorted fruits from one of the clear drawers within. Duo grinned happily as his wife brought the fruit over to him and set it on the counter.

"When did we get all of theses?" he asked as he reached under the counter into one of the cabinets and pulled out a large, wood cutting board.

"I went shopping yesterday," Hilde admitted before quickly continuing on, "I'm sorry, I know you like to go with me, but we needed a few things. A lot of things actually."

Duo nodded and looked down to the fruit as he pulled two large knives from a wooden stand against the wall. "I'm sorry, I've been meaning to put time aside…" he paused and Hilde continued the awkward conversation,

"I know Duo," she smiled up into his face, "I think I managed to buy all of your favorites though!" Duo smiled back and the couple began chopping fruits and tossing the pieces into the large bowl on the counter top before them. When the brightly colored fruit salad was finished, there was more than enough for two people. Even if one of the people was Duo Maxwell. Hilde carried the bowl out the door of the kitchen which served as the house's back entrance and walked out onto the small porch. She placed the bowl on the small table that sat in a corner of the porch, accompanied by two comfortable looking chairs.

She turned to walk back inside to fetch forks and smiled as her husband came through the door, holding both forks, and two cups of orange juice. They each took a seat in their respective chair and began to eat, neither of them mentioning what the other had done the day before when they had been apart, or any individual plans they had for tonight. Until Duo mentioned possibly working late at the Junk Yard to fill an extra large order.

"What?" Hile gasped, "Duo, don't you realize what today is?" Hilde did not appear angry, simply shocked.

"No," Duo hesitantly admitted, "should I?"

"Woofy," Hilde reminded, hoping Duo would remember on his own. When Duo slowly shook his head no, Hilde sighed in slight exasperation.

"Wufei and Sally are doing their little BB-Q this evening, remember? It starts at four…" Duo suddenly caught on and slapped his forehead.

"Well, I guess I'll be filling that order tomorrow," he grinned ruefully. His grin waned slightly when he noticed Hilde's expression, "Babe, babe what's wrong?"

"Are you sure you _can_ work late tomorrow?" she worried, "I mean, the only reason I know you're free to go tonight is because she's going too."

"What do you mean free?" Duo asked, confused. "And… her? Wha-" Duo cut his own statement off as he realized what Hilde was insinuating. "Hild, look, I know I've been spending a lot of time with her. A lot of time away from work and you. But I wouldn't if I wasn't truly worried about her."

Hilde nodded her head emphatically. "I know that, and that's not what I meant. It's just, she always seems to need you, and I don't know how you can make plans, even a single day in advance when you know you'll say yes the moment she calls, no matter when that is."

Duo simply sighed and stood, looking down at his beautiful wife. "She, she doesn't want me to be with her anymore, she wants to stay 'in' for a while," at Hilde's shocked face, Duo continued, "She told me to go home to my wife."

Hilde stood and moved closer to Duo, embracing him tightly. "I'm sorry Duo. I'm sorry you have to see her like this. We all love her, but you and her have that special bond." Hilde closed her eyes tightly as the traitorous monster of jealousy rose at the thought of that bond that Duo did not even share with his wife.

Duo returned the tight hug and just stood there, his head bent into the crook of her neck. Hilde was not certain, but she thought she felt the wet heat of tears on her neck before he pulled away, wrapping one arm around her waist and picking up the now empty fruit bowl with his free hand.

"Let's go get ready for work babe," Duo said softly as he led Hilde into the kitchen. He broke away from her to rinse the bowl in the sink and Hilde headed toward the bedroom. Duo followed and sat on the bed as Hilde went about getting ready for the day. As she sat at a desk more often now, she had to seem somewhat presentable, so she went through the pains of applying light makeup. When she exited the bathroom, she looked fresh and awake; she held a brush in her hand and climbed onto the bed behind Duo to brush his hair out and re-braid the long brown silk.

Duo was perfectly capable of doing his own hair, he had, after all, worn the braid all his life, ever since his hair had grown out long enough. But it was an intimacy they shared, Hilde running her fingers through the luscious hair right beside the brush, and Duo relaxing under the gentle massage-like tugging on his scalp. After brushing through his hair thoroughly long enough to ensure there were no tangles, she braided the long hair back away from his shoulders.

"Thanks babe," Duo stood and kissed her on the forehead. Then he helped her to her feet and they left the house together. Waling hand in hand up the road to the Junk Yard, Duo and Hilde talked of fickle things; things they would like to add to the house, things they found funny about their house, interesting clients that had come to them at the scrap heap. When they got to the junk yard, Hilde pulled out a lanyard heavy with keys from her pocket. She unlocked the heavy paddock on the gate and they both walked in.

"Quite the medieval security, wouldn't you say?" Duo commented as they separated. Duo went away to the heaps of metal and other salvaged items in order to fill orders he already had, and Hilde went to the office to receive any new orders and to update the inventory. She nodded as she went in answer to Duo's question about security.

A loud sigh ruffled brown bangs away from Cobalt eyes with flecks of purple in them. Staring at the underside of the truck, Duo repositioned himself on the roller board and moved further under the truck to examine it further for salvageable parts. Though it was already early November, the fall weather only settled in late into the evening, leaving the days hot and humid. Duo scrubbed a greasy forearm across his forehead, wiping the sweat from his brow. After taking a break for lunch which he shared with Hilde in the office, he had promptly returned to his currant project. He had removed his shirt and it now rested on the garage floor with his belt thrown over it.

"Duo?" Duo's purple eyes widened in pleasure as he hear his name called by his wife. He rolled out from under the truck and reached for the towel that was shoved into his back pocket after standing. He was in the process of wiping the majority of the grease from his hands when Hild entered the garage and stoped in her tracks.

Hilde stared at the man in front of her. Hereyes were drawn to the sheen of sweat that covered the expanse of his muscular chest, her eyes tracedd th ridges of his abs and she could not glance away from the light dusting of auburn hair that trailed down his lower stomach and disappeared into the pants that slung low, exposing his hip bones, with no belt to hold them up.

"See something you like?" Duo remarked candidly.

"Maybe," Hilde was surprised she could get the word out, her throat felt so dry. Duo sauntered slowly over to her and then languidly embraced her tightly transferring his sweat to her.

"Eew," Hilde complained boisterously, "you're disgusting Mr. Maxwell!"

Duo pulled back and cupped Hilde's face in his hands, intentionally smearing some lack grease over her cheeks. Hilde pushed him away from her and ran out of the garage laughing. Duo waited only a few seconds before chasing after her. Hilde shrieked then when she looked over her shoulder as she ran and saw him gaining fast on her tail. With an extra burst of speed she was able to make it to the gates of the Junk Yard. But her escape ended on her first step through the gate. Duo tackled her to the ground, managing to make a big show of putting her to the ground under his body and holding her captive there, and at the same time cushioning her fall so she was not hurt when she landed in the dirt.

He ducked down bringing his lips to hers in a sweet melding of silk and rose petals. His tongue traced the crease of her lips, seeking to deepen the kiss. Hilde opened her mouth and a fierce duel of dominance ensued. Just as Duo was winning the battle, he broke away to give them both some air. He smiled down at his gasping wife as she tried to reprimand him.

"We have to get ready for that BBQ," she gasped, sounding more frustrated with the BBQ than with Duo.

"Do we?" he asked mischievously bending to nuzzle the crook of her neck. Hilde gasped as Duo nipped at the lobe of her ear. She hit his upper arm with her balled fist and then tried to convince him again.

"We have to go get ready, and we're short on time as it is. And we need to get showers and everything!" She rolled her eyes as Duo waggled his eyebrows in absurd insinuation.

"We could always share the shower, cut the time in half…" he suggested.

" The point is to _not _be late. If you get in that shower with me, we'll definitely be late. You never keep your hands to yourself!" Proof to her point Hilde felt Duo brush his hand up her side before he stood and offered her his hand. When she too was standing, they walked the rest of the way to the house the way they had left it earlier, side by side, hand in hand.

When they were once more in their house, Hilde decided that she would be the first to shower, leaving Duo to make something to take to the BBQ, with strict instructions for him not to eat the food he was preparing. She now stood in the master bathroom, stripped of her clothes with a towel rapped around her. She stared into the mirror at her exasperating hair, too long to style, too short to look cute with out a style. She sighed and decided to deal with her hair after she was clean and walked over to the shower.

She pulled the curtain aside and leaned over the tub bottom to reach the knobs inside the shower stall. She turned two of the three knobs until she was satisfied with the temperature of the water and then turned the last knob so that the water poured out of the shower head. She lowered the toilet lid and dropped the towel on to the it before climbing into the shower. She pulled the curtain closed behind her and simply stood under the water, enjoying the relaxing warmth that worked all of the tight knots from her shoulders.

"We're going to be late…" she sighed and smiled as she heard the bathroom door open over the sound of the falling water. A moment later she shivered slightly as a shill blast of air accompanied Duo as he opened the shower curtain to join her. He closed the curtain as soon as he was in and then moved to gather his wife in his arms. Hilde felt warm again as Duo pulled her back against his solid, warm chest. She turned into his embrace and murmured a brief warning,

"You're making the excuses," a gravelly chuckle was her only answer as Duo's callused hand moved from her waist, up her ribcage, and to cup her breast.

"Ms. Relena?" the maid standing in the hall rapped lightly on the door with her free hand, balancing the food laden tray with the other. When she received no answer she opened the door to her mistresses room and walked in. The room was not lit and the curtains were closed to the sun. Relena lay in her bed, still in her night gown. Feebly, she lifted her head to see who was in her room. She groaned at the sight of the food and ordered it taken far away.

"I don't even want to think of food right now," she moaned, putting one hand to her head and the other to her stomach. She needed to call Sally, there was no way she could make it to the BBQ. After a small breakfast of toast and juice she had set about getting dressed. When she felt faint, she had stopped to rest. She went into the bathroom to wash her face, when she ended up kneeling before the toilet, vomiting up the contents of her breakfast.

"What's wrong with me," she moaned as her stomach turned again, threatening more visits to the bathroom with nausea that clung to the back of her throat. Though she had gotten the shot for it early in the season, the president was now stricken with a severe case of influenza.

"Sally?" Relena greeted wearily into the phone she held to her eat, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to make it. I think I have the flu. That or I've got food poisoning." Sally was sympathetic on the other line and though Relena appreciated it, she quickly said her good-byes and hung up the phone to close her eyes in exhaustion and try to sleep again.

"You're late," the young Chinese man remarked dryly from his position leanin against the door he had just opened to his guests.

"Well, hey to you to Wu-man!" Duo greeted cheerily, shoving the bowl containing deviled eggs at Wufei and walking in past his friend. Wufei had to grab or the food before it fell to his immaculately cleaned floor and was forced to move out of Duo's way as the braided American walked brashly into his house.

"Hilde," he nodded briskly in greeting. Duo's wife only smiled at Wufei as she walked in and scanned for her friends.

"Hey guys!" she exclaimed excitedly as she walked over to the three other people in the house, waving excitedly with both of her hands. She hugged Quatre companionably and smiled to both Sally and Trowa.

"Where's Relena?" Hilde asked after the greetings were done with. Upon entering the house she had scanned for her friend and was curious that the depressed president was not present. Hilde continued to look around and therefore missed Trowa's bright green glance jump to Quatre's, whose light blue eyes in turn deepened in shade with pain.

"She's not here," Sally answered softly. "And she's not coming. She called earlier. Apparently she's sick and plans on staying in bed all day.

"I wish she could have made it," Hilde murmured softly.

"Please excuse us for a moment," Quatre asked as Trowa pulled the shorter blonde man away from the two girls and toward the other two pilots present. Sally grasped Hilde's hand and led her into the kitchen to make drinks and prepare the meat to grill, a small task to pass the time until the boys were done talking Preventer business and were ready to head outside.

"I'm worried she's sick because she's so depressed," Sally finally brought the topic back to Relena, opening the plastic wrap on the thawed steaks.

Hilde nodded as she shook spices into a bowl of ketchup along with chopped inions, "I wish she wasn't like this." Only Duo had been affected worse than Hilde when Relena had fallen into depression after Heero left. Ever since the departure of Yuy, Hilde had felt a sharper pain of the departure of her closest female friend.

"It's because of him, and it makes me so angry that he would just up and leave like that!" Sally tenderized the meat, frustration in her voice, and in the fist that pounded the steak on the cutting board. "Has she told Duo anything about why he left?"

Hilde paused before answering, Duo had told her he didn't know, could he have lied? "No, she hasn't told him anything. And if Duo knows anything about where he might be, he's not telling me," Hilde lamented.

"I know what you mean," Sally laughed, "Wufei wont tell me a thing!"

"When does Woofy ever tell you anything?" Hilde laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Sally laughed along, both women were acting, as they both well knew.

"Has she told you anything?" Wufei asked softly of Duo.

"No, nothing. Not why he left, or where he may have gone. Nothing." Duo had not pressed to hard, but each time he had met with Relena, he had searched for information on Heero's leaving. He had learned nothing and now he listened with the others to Quatre's report form his intelligence.

Trowa nodded to what Quatre said and added his own opinion in the form of a plan. "I have to be on that colony soon anyway for Catherine, I'll look for him then." Trowa then apologized to Quatre, "I'm sorry Little One, but I promised her a long time ago, the holidays always bring in a large crowd.

"You have to be ready to track him down though Maxwell, even if you don't have to look for him and Trowa finds him, you have to go to him." Wufei continued at Duo's startled expression with an explanation. "Odd as it is, out of all of us, you're the one he'll listen to the most.

Duo nodded his understanding and agreement along with Trowa and Quatre, though Duo noticed Quatre was much less enthusiastic about it. Then the huddle of pilots broke and they walked into the kitchen where Hilde and Sally had drinks ready and plates that needed to go out to the grill.

'I'm sorry Hild, but I know it's going to come to me chasing him down,' Duo thought sadly as he hugged his wife and pulled her to a chair out on the porch, he sat down and pulled her into his lap. He held her struggling form there while everyone else took their seat and Sally took the meat and sauces over to the grill.

Duo received a sharp smack to the back of his head from a very irate Wufei a moment later when he tried to kiss Hilde."It's truly unjust to force us to watch your intimate moments with your wife," he scowled.

"Ah, bull! You're just jealous because you've yet to make a proper woman of Sally over there," Duo sneered playfully. Amoment later Hilde was jumping from her husbands lap and quickly moving to help Sally as Duo ran from Wufei. Everyone on the porch laughed as Duo tripped and Wufei neared him and then turned on his heel, returning with grumbles of worth and justice.

A/N: There, finally! Oy! Sometimes I hat my computer. Like when I've written five pages and forgotten to save and the computer "encounters an error" . But here it is! Chapter Two! And per request, Wufei and Sally were brought in. If there are any worries about Wufei seeming a little OOC, I plan to go more in depth about his POV on this situation in the next chapter! Thanks for reading. Please R&R

Miealie Faradae


	3. Case Development

_Hilde had said yes through her tears, making Duo the happiest man on Earth, or any of the colonies. That night, whilst sharing their double bed that rested on the floor for lack of an as yet constructed frame, Hilde and Duo simply enjoyed each other's company. They were close, but no intimate, simply holding and being held. A month later they were happily wed._

_Relena stared at her reflection and her lip curled in hate at what she saw. Then her eyes filled with tears again and she stood up and turned away from her desk, flinging herself at the bed. She wept into her pillow, she cried out in self-loathing and asked forgiveness._

"_God help me, I think I love Duo Maxwell."_

Catch Me Duo

Chapter 3

Duo's purple eyes opened drowsily to the sun that shined in through the window and onto the bed he and Hilde slept in. A content smile on his face, he watched his wife as she slept peacefully. Her head rested on his bare shoulder, her small hand on his chest over his heartbeat. She stirred and the light cotton sheet fell from around her shoulders down to her waist, displaying deliciously bare skin to his gaze and his touch.

Duo gently brushed his fingers down her upper arm to her elbow and then back up and across her collarbone. Hilde shivered in her sleep and stirred, turning into his touch. The braided American chuckled under his breath and leaned closer, brushing light butterfly kisses across her brow, down to her nose and across her cheeks. Her long lashes fluttered open and their gazes met, smiling at each other. Duo grinned broadly and swept in to plant a warm kiss on her mouth; he stopped abruptly when Hilde paled noticeably and pulled away, one hand over her mouth, the other supporting her as she unsteadily rushed to sit up.

"Babe?" Duo's brows drew together in a worried frown as Hilde stumbled from the bed and rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. "Hild? Are you okay?" Duo stepped out of the bed and reached for a pair of boxers that rested folded on a chair. He stepped into them, grabbed the sheet from the bed and walked over to the bathroom and knocked tentatively on the door.

Duo winced as he heard the sound of retching followed by the toilet flushing. He waited patiently as sounds of the faucet running followed and then the door opened a crack. Hilde looked up at Duo, attempting to smile. "Hey," she rasped. Her eyes trailed down to his hand as he held out the sheet to her and she smiled thankfully and stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping the sheet around herself and moving across the room to the dresser.

"So are you gonna be okay?" Duo asked, moving over to stand behind her. She opened the drawer and ran her hands through the assorted garments and pulled out a pair of cotton pajama pants. Duo reached in over her shoulder and opened another drawer and pulled out a pair of his flannel pants and held them out to her.

"Thanks," Hilde murmured and opened another drawer to pull out undergarments. "And yea, I'm fine. Probably just got the flu or something, it's probably circling around. I'll just rest a little and then work through whatever symptoms don't go away."

"I don't think so. Your rump ain't goin' nowhere except for the couch or that bed. Dr. Maxwell orders you to bed rest." Duo turned from her to find a pair of jeans and a tank top to go work at the junkyard. "I gotta get to work soon though. I'll take the radio, just call if you need me, got it?"

Hilde nodded though it hurt her head. Truthfully she was very happy not to have to go to work today, she felt to bad and wanted nothing more than to lie down and relax. Duo walked with her through the hall into the front of the house and had her rest on the chair and walked into the kitchen to fix a large breakfast for himself and a few pieces of plain toast for her. Over the sound of hissing bacon he heard loud groaning and shuffling feet. When he leaned around the open doorway of the kitchen and looked down the hall he saw Hilde disappear into the bathroom in the hall and slam the door behind her.

Surmising that the smell must have set off her nausea again, Duo turned off the gas stove and took the entire frying pan with the eggs and bacon outside to dump it in the trash before coming back inside. When he came back, Hilde was back on the couch, a big bowl next to her on the floor.

"Sorry babe," he apologized. "I made you some plain toast if you want it," he put the toast far enough away that the slight aroma would not reach her on the couch, but close enough that she could get to it without having to walk too far. He kept some of the toast for himself and wrapped it in a paper towel to take with him to the junkyard.

"It's okay, thank you." She murmured, turning on the television.

"I'm off to work now, don't hesitate to call if you need anything, got that?" Duo squinted one eye at his wife and waited for her nod of agreement before he went to the front door and pulled his boots on and then walked out of the house.

The phone rang and Hilde glared at it for a moment, deciding if it was worth the effort to answer it. She decided it was and stood to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Hilde, did I call you at a bad time?" Sally's voice inquired over the line.

"Not particularly worse than any other time no."

"Are you alright? I called you at the office before I tried the house, anything the matter?"

"Just sick. The flu probably, it must be going around now."

"I'm sorry," Sally immediately switched into doctor patient mode with her friend, "Do you have a fever? Nausea? What about your chest, it doesn't feel tight or congested does it?"

"I'm fine Hilde, just some nausea and a head ache. I'm sure it'll pass soon," Hilde sighed in exasperation.

"Okay then, but promise me you'll check yourself into a hospital if it lasts for a week or longer. Or I'll tell Duo," Sally's voice made Hilde scowl with it's threatening sweetness.

"Fine, I promise. But why'd you call? Is everything all right over there?"

"Actually, I was wondering if Duo had mentioned a mission or anything to you. Wufei hasn't said anything either way, and it's not like definitely he has to be getting ready for one, but I just get this feeling that he's going to leave soon."

"No, Duo hasn't said anything along those lines yet, but I guess we haven't really talked that much as of yet about business. But Une hasn't called yet, or Wufei or any of the others and that's usually a good sign that nothing's going on."

There was a brief pause on the other end as Sally chewed on her lip. "I guess you're right, I just wish he would talk to me about it. Well, I have to go Hilde, work calls."

"Okay, talk to you later Sally." Hilde pulled the phone from her ear and turned it off and set it on the floor next to the radio Duo had left her and turned her attention back to the television.

"I'm sorry hon', I just don't feel up to a large meal today? I still feel sick," Hilde apologized to Duo's crestfallen countenance when she told him that she did not feel like going out to dinner.

"No, that's alright. But should you still be sick? The flu can be pretty serious and you've had it for almost a week now, maybe you should go to the doctors soon?"

"Fine," Hilde sighed, remembering Sally's warning, "I'll go in tomorrow."

"Thanks, babe. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No that's alright. I'll just call Sally and she can take me down there when she goes to work tomorrow. I know you want to get that order finished."

"I actually got the order finished, I've had a lot of time," Duo's smile faltered. "She hasn't called me in all this time. I haven't even heard from her since the barbeque."

"You haven't? Maybe you should go check on her tomorrow then," Hilde suggested. "It's not like you were going to be doing anything else."

"But I should be with you if I don't have work," Duo protested.

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry for me. We're all worried for her. Go see her tomorrow, make sure she's all right. I'll be here when you get back," Hilde smiled reassuringly and leaned forward to hug her beloved husband.

"I guess," Duo nodded his head and then stood up and moved through the living room where he and Hilde were to pick up the phone. "Make sure that Sally can give you the ride though," he tossed the phone over to her and she caught it deftly and dialed the number.

"Hey Sally," she greeted when someone picked up the other end. "Yea everything's fine, I was just wondering if I could catch a ride with you to the hospital tomorrow.

"Thanks, see you tomorrow. Yea, that's a good time."

Hilde handed the phone back to Duo who hung it up and then moved back to the couch to sit with her and turned the television to a movie.

"She says she'll be here tomorrow at nine."

"'Kay, that's good. I'll give Relena a call around eight then and head over there after you leave. Tomorrow's Saturday so I wont feel too guilty about closing the yard down."

"Time to wake up, darling." Duo gently shook Hilde's shoulder in an attempt to wake her. She moaned and then her blue eyes opened and she frowned.

"Don't wanna get up," she complained.

"But you have to, you only have an hour before Sally'll be here. I gave you as much time as you could afford."

Hilde sat up and ran her hand through her shoulder length black hair. "Did you call Relena?"

"Yea, she didn't answer though, her servants said she was busy. I'm just going to show up at her house and hope that that's enough."

Hilde nodded and got out of bed, stretching and then moved over to get dressed and then went into the bathroom to continue on with her preparations for the day.

Duo was already dressed so he left the room and went into the kitchen to make something light for breakfast and then sat at the table and waited for Hilde to join him. When she did she sat with him at the small kitchen table and ate a few slices of toast, this time with butter. Though she was still ill enough to check in with a doctor, she was feeling slightly better and her stomach seemed at least somewhat stronger.

The doorbell rang and Hild stood up and walked to the fridge, "Come in!" she called as she opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Sally came into the house through the front door and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Hilde, ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me get my purse," Hilde walked over to get her purse that rested on the kitchen table and hugged Duo goodbye and then went back to Sally and walked with her outside.

"No, I'm sure she'll see me!" anger raised Duo's tone to almost a shout.

"The mistress will see no one, I'm sorry sir."

"Who's there?" Relena's voice asked of her retainer who stood at the door, barring Duo Maxwell's entrance into the mansion.

"It's me Princess, now tell this fucking moron to let me in!"

"Duo?" the sound of her voice was closer to Duo and then he saw her. Her servant moved out of the way and she stood in the doorway. Her hair hung limp and unbound about her shoulders, she still wore pajamas and her face looked as though she had been crying for quite some time. She backed away from the door and he followed her into the house.

"Are you okay, Princess? You were starting to worry me."

"Oh, Duo," Relena sobbed and broke down. Duo gathered her into his embrace and held her as she sobbed into his shirt.

"It's horrible!"

"What? What happened Relena?"

"I'm pregnant," she whispered brokenly. All of Duo's air escaped him in a long surprised hiss.

"Heero's?"

Relena's sobbing became louder and more desperate, answering Duo's inquiry better than a simple "yes" could have. Duo swore under his breath and rubbed Relena's back with his hand, trying to calm her. Duo understood now, or thought he had an idea, why Heero may have left.

"_The bastard! He can't just leave or stay gone now. I definitely have to find him now,_" Duo thought, contemplating his options. "It's okay, Princess. I can fix this. Just have faith in me."

Duo motioned for one of her servants to come over and then instructed them to lead her to her room and to have someone watch over her. "Drug her if you have to," Duo murmured to another servant as Relena was led away. "I want her to rest. And someone needs to keep an eye on her, all the time. I'm not so sure she wont hurt herself the way she is now.

Duo slammed the door on the exit and walked with determination in every step over to his bike. He straddled the bike and pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Wufei.

"Call 03 and 04, I've got more information, we have to find the bastard, now." Duo hung up the phone, not waiting for Wufei's response and pulled the helmet over his head and raced off down the road towards Wufei's home.

"I can't believe it," Hilde murmured for the tenth time since entering the car with Sally to go home. She put her hand over her stomach and raised wide eyes to Sally.

"It's a wonderful thing," Sally smiled. "Just imagine how Duo's going to act."

"He's going to flip," Hilde groaned, "Probably treat me like glass or something."

"You can tell him that I said you have a clean bill of health and are allowed to return to work now that the morning sickness is starting to wear off. He can call me if he wants to, just to make sure we're telling the truth." Sally winked and then turned her attention back to the road. She pulled the car over and unlocked the doors so that Hilde could get out and go into her house.

"Just make sure that you rest and don't wear yourself out, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, thanks!" Hilde walked into her house, feeling as though she would fly away any moment, she was so full of happiness. A baby, her and Duo were going to have a baby. She glanced at the clock and read 4:30. Duo still wasn't home and she hoped everything was all right as she moved to the back of the house. She was tired from the excitement of the day and decided to take a nap before Duo got home.

She was still sleeping when Duo returned home from Wufei's two hours later. The pilots had discussed the new development in "the case" as they now handled it. Heero had to be made to come home, and Duo needed to search for him just as much, if not more than the others.

When Duo could not find his wife in the front of the house he walked into the back of the house and into their bedroom where he saw Hilde napping in the bed. He moved in on silent feet and stopped by her side of the bed and then sat gently on the edge, running his fingers through her soft sable hair.

"Sorry, love. I have to go, but I promise to be home soon." Duo stood again and pulled a mini-disk from his pocket and put it in the player by the bed. Hilde would notice the flashing red light when she woke. Duo then moved about the room as stealthy as he was on any of his past missions and packed a small bag with clothes and other necessities from the bathroom.

"Goodybye," he whispered, leaning over the bed again. He gently placed his lips over Hilde's in a caste kiss before leaving the room and the house. Outside Trowa sat in a car that would take him and Duo to the airport where Duo would catch a plane and Trowa a shuttle for the first leg of their mission.

"I'm sorry, babe. I don't think I'll be back by Thanksgiving, but I promise to be back by Christmas. I'm so sorry, but she's carrying his child, I have to do this. I love you. I love you so much."

Hilde glared at the screen of the disc player through tear filled eyes. She squinted her eyes closed and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, her blue gaze was filled with anger.

"What about me you jackass?" she shouted at Duo's countenance paused on the screen. "What about you wife?" she cried as she threw the remote and broke down in sobs.

A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this up. I can't believe how long it's been. I wanted to get another chapter finished as way of apology, but I don't know if I'll be able to. But I will update my other story as well. I'm sooooo sorry. Please forgive. And R&R!


End file.
